Panel on Hiring 02554: The Ins and Outs of Interviewing, Hiring and Retaining

Jamie Lee Nass grew up in Upstate New York and studied Psychology at the State University of Cortland. Her first position out of University was as Human Resources Training Manager for Lord & Taylor in NYC, followed by Human Resource Coordinator at a Medical Non-Profit in the Outback of Australia. She then moved on to become a mental healthcare provider for the same company. In the meantime, she began coming out to Nantucket in 2006, working summers as a server at Ropewalk and the old Club Car, and in 2017 made her year-round move to Nantucket as the General Manager of Sandbar. In 2019 she & her business partners opened up or, The Whale Bistro, Bar & Patio, in what she hopes to be many years to come. 

Jamie Holmes: 
Jamie Holmes is a hotel professional that has parlayed his industry experience to lead World-Class resort teams in the USA, St. Kitts and Nevis, as well as in both the British & US Virgin Islands.  Holmes is known for saying, ?No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care,? while working hand-in-hand with his award-winning teams.  Jamie?s properties have consistently won TripAdvisor?s coveted ?Travelers? Choice Award,? scoring in the top 25 in both the US and Caribbean multiple times.

In his current General Manager role at The Nantucket Hotel, Holmes was responsible for the successful 2012 opening, and subsequent ongoing performance and day-to-day operations of Nantucket Island?s last grand-dame resort dating from 1891. The Nantucket Hotel & Resort features carefully appointed modern comforts set in the property?s original 19^th- century architectural style.   This quintessential New England, all-season resort features the largest ballroom on the island, offers a complimentary Children?s Program, two outdoor heated swimming pools, and a state-of-the-art Health Club. Guests can also enjoy New England Coast Cuisine in the Hotel?s Breeze Restaurant.
 
Holmes brings a wealth of experience to his General Manager position at The Nantucket Hotel with a career spanning close to 25 years. He has held numerous General Manager roles for leading hotel companies, including The Ritz-Carlton and Relais & Chateau, and small luxury properties like The Resort at Paws Up in Montana; the Biras Creek Resort in Virgin Gorda, BVI; and the Peter Island Resort & Yacht Club on Peter Island, BVI.  Most recently, Holmes transformed the Nisbet Plantation Beach Club in the Nevis West Indies into an award-winning, luxury boutique hotel.

Jason M. Bridges:
Jason M. Bridges is the owner and operator of Nantucket Bike Tours, the owner and operator of a community-focused coffee shop, Handlebar Cafe, a member of the Select Board for the Town of Nantucket, and the host of"Bridges to Leadership" ? a podcast for those seeking strategies and tips for building successful relationships with others.  Jason has lived on Nantucket for 20 years and is father of 2 year old Eloise.  Outside of elected office and running small businesses, Jason teaches public speaking workshops and courses on emotional intelligence.  His TEDx talk "Practicing Emotional Intelligence" has over 200,000 views.

Sponsor Information: 
Mobilize Jobs has designed a staffing program solely with the tourism/hospitality industry in mind to both address regional/seasonal labor shortages and drastically reduce youth unemployment in America. It?s an innovative staffing program with over 30 years of experience as a trusted international recruitment agency. With our ethical approach and proven recruitment process, we deliver great fit candidates that solve your labor challenges.

Summer 2020 will be our 5th seasonal deployment in America, having deployed in past seasons into resort areas within Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Vermont and Utah. Since our launch in 2015 in Canada, we have placed 1,800+ workers and helped 70+ resorts. This includes the deployment of cooks, kitchen helpers, housekeepers, front desk agents and customer service workers.